Sick Child and Emergency Policy:
The parents and carers of the children attending the Nursery are valued as the people who know their children best. As part of the partnership agreement between staff and parents, we have a shared understanding that the health and well being of all the children attending the setting must be respected at all times.Parents are therefore requested that, if your child becomes ill, you should inform the nursery to the nature of the infection or illness within the 24- hour period following onset. The information will remain confidential in its source, but must be passed on to other parents, so preventative or other procedures can be followed.
We understand the needs of working parents and do not aim to exclude children from the nursery unnecessarily. However, the decision of the nursery manager is final when requesting the exclusion of a child for illness or infection. Decisions will take into account the needs of the child and those of the other children in the room.The staff must be convinced that the child has returned to good health before re-admitting them and may at their entire discretion refuse re-admission until clearance has been obtained from a medical practitioner.
If your child requires specialist medical care, you will be asked to sign a form giving consent for staff with the appropriate training in the necessary procedures to administer those procedures (see Medication Policy).
Management of sickness and Infection Control Guidelines
As outlined, we follow a high standard of hygiene practices throughout the nursery. If an illness has been reported in any of the rooms, steps are taken to ensure all surfaces, toys and equipment are sterilised immediately as a precaution and to prevent the spread of any infection. This is in addition to our usual cleaning practices.
Children who have an infectious illness must not return to the Nursery until the symptoms have subsided. Periods of absence due to illness depend on the nature of the illness and your child’s key person will be able to advise you of this. There will be no refund for time off due to illness.
Procedure
Any member of staff suspecting illness of a child must report this immediately to the officer in charge, in order for it to be assessed whether the child needs to be sent home or needs urgent medical attention.
If your child has a temperature you will be contacted and asked for consent to administer Calpol (if appropriate) and advised to collect your child as soon as possible. Children with a temperature of 39 degrees upwards are at risk of febrile convulsions and must be collected from nursery as soon as possible.
If the child needs to be sent home, the officer in charge will contact the parents using the telephone numbers given on their enrolment form. If the parent’s cannot be contacted the emergency numbers will then be used.
Once the parents or emergency contacts are contacted they are notified of the child’s condition/symptoms and either asked to come and pick them up immediately or advised to make an appointment with their G.P.
In the case of the child needing medical attention urgently, an ambulance will be called, the parents will then be contacted and notified of the situation and informed of which hospital their child is being taken to so that they can meet the senior member of staff there who will accompany their child. All the child’s relevant forms and records will be taken along to the hospital.
If the child does not require urgent medical attention, then they will be looked after by their key worker in a quiet area away from other children until the parent/carer collects the child.
If there are any queries regarding an illness, please contact the nursery for advice.